Vapor electric device



'2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w. E. PAKALA VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVICE Filed April 24, 1940 Dec. 2, 1941.

INVENTOR m a M F m m H W Dec. 2, 1941. w. E. PAKALA 2,265,001

VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVIG E Filed April 24, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES: 1 INVENTOR Will /am 5. Palm [a- 1%. 7241/. BYJ JW ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 2, 1941 VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVICE William E. Pakala, Forest Hills, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 24, 1940, Serial No. 331,405

3 Claims. (Cl. 250-275) My invention relates to a vapor electric device and, particularly, to an anode and baffle assembly for such a device.

In the operation of vapor electric devices such as mercury arc valves, particularly valves of the make-alive type, it has been found desirable to so bafile the anode that no portion of the working surface of the anode is exposed to the active surface of the cathode.

According to my invention, the anode is con-.

structed with a substantially conical working face so as to increase the active anode area and thus decrease the current-concentration on the anode face. In order to properly bafiie the anode a combination grid and bafiie conforming closely to the working face of the anode is provided between the anode and the active cathode surface.

The substantially conical bafile member provides a further advantage in that the anode may be brought down to the cathode without impeding the flow of cathode vapor to the condensing surfaces. Also the lateral openings in the baiiie expose a larger percentage of the condensing area to the effect of the arc and as is well known, this exposure of the condensing surface to the arc improves the condensing efficiency of the condensing surface.

I prefer to construct this baffle member of conducting material such as metal or graphite, so that it may also be used as an auxiliary electrode in controlling the operation of the vapor electric valve.

The baffle is preferably so constructed that the arc passages are lateral of the anode surface and substantially transverse to the direction of the arc flow between the anode and the cathode.

It is, accordingly, an object of my invention to provide an anode having a relatively large working surface.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a combination grid and baiile for shielding the anode from the cathode.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a make-alive type valve according to my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a similar illustration showing a modifled form of baiiie element.

In the illustrative embodiment of my invention according to Fig. 1, the vapor electric device comprises a metal container I which is provided with suitable pumping connection 2 for evacuating the same. In the bottom of the container I is a suitable cathode dish 3 containing a quantity of vaporizable material 4, such as mercury, gallium, or mercury compounds. The cathode 4 is preferably provided with cooling elements, such as metal blocks 5, welded or otherwise secured to the bottom of the cathode disk 3 for rapidly conducting heat away from the cathode material 4.

In order to initiate a cathode support, a suitable make-alive electrode 6 is provided in contact with the vaporizable cathode material t. This make-alive electrode 6 is connected to a suitable lead-in l which is supported in insulated relation by means of suitable brackets 8 welded or otherwise secured to the inner surface of the container I and insulated from the brackets 8 by means of a suitable insulating material such as quartz tube 9. The lead-in I is carried in insulated relation through the wall of the container I by means of a suitable lead-in bushing Iii. The walls of the container I are cooled in any suitable manner to provide a condensing surface for the vapor evolved from the cathode 4. Preferably, the walls of the container I are cooled by means of cooling coils II attached in good thermal relation to the exterior of the container I.

Also in certain cases it is desirable to provide cooling coils I2 in certain portions of the interior of the container I where high vapor concentrations may be expected. These interior cooling coils I2 are preferably constructed of nickel because of the high condensing efficiency of such material.

Cooperating with the cathode 4 is an anode I5 of suitable conducting material such as metal or graphite, which is supported on a conducting stem I6, preferably of copper, which is led in through a suitable insulating bushing II, which is preferably sealed in vacuum-tight relation to the container I by means of suitable solder seals I8.

In order to increase the active surface area of the working face of the anode I5, I provide an anode having a substantially conical working face 20, or at least a face converging from a base to a point or tip adjacent the cathode I.

In order to protect the working face 2c of the anode I5 from exposure to the cathode t, a suitable baflle member is provided, herein shown as a framework 2 I, supporting a plurality of annular plates 22 which define a space conforming in configuration to the sloping surface of the active cathode face 20. The apex of the grid or baflle is closed by means of a suitable solid member, herein illustrated as an imperforate tip plate 23. The entire bafiie structure is supported in insulated relation to both the anode l5 and the container l by means of a suitable insulating member herein illustrated as an insulating ring 24. The annular members 22 comprising the baffie are of such width and spaced apart such distances that they provide lateral openings 25 substantially transverse to the direction between the anode l5 and the cathode 4 so that the arc stream flows laterally away from the anode face 26, and so that no portion of the anode face 20 is exposed to the active surface of the cathode 4.

If desired, the active surface of the cathode 4 may be restricted by means -of a .suitable baffle ring 25 rigidly secured in the cathode '4 by any suitable means such as pins 21 rigidly secured to the cooling blocks 5 in the cathode 4.

In order to utilize the baffle member as a grid, a suitable lead-in connection 39 is attached to the baffle member and carried in insulated relation through the wall of the container I by means of a suitable insulating bushing 31.

In the modification according .to Fig. 2, the built-up metal baffle is replaced by a suitable graphite member 35 which is substantially conical in configuration to conform closely vto the active surface 20 of the conical anode [5. Suitable arc passages 36 are provided through the walls of the baffle 35, preferably in a direction transverse to a line between the active cathode surface 4 and the anode face '20. The size .of the arc passages 38 .and the thickness of the graphite wall are so proportioned that no ,portion of the anode face 20 is exposed to the oathode surface 4. through the passages 36.

While for purposes of illustration I have shown and described specific embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent that changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the true spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A vapor electric valve comprising a container, a mercury cathode in said container,

means for cooling the side wall of said container for providing a condensing surface, an anode cooperating with said cathode, said anode being insulated from said cathode, said anode having a working portion decreasing in cross section in the direction of the cathode, a baffle surrounding said anode and conforming in shape thereto, said bafile having a plurality of arc passages therethrough, said are passages being transverse to the direction between said anode and cathode whereby the arc is caused to pass in proximity to the condensing surface of said container, said baffle being so arranged that no part of the anode is exposed to the cathode.

2. A vapor electric device comprising a container, amercury cathode in said container, an anode cooperating with said cathode, said anode having a working face converging in the direction of the cathode, a cooled condensing surface arranged laterally of said anode, a combined grid and baffle surrounding the working face of the anode and conforming in shape thereto, means for insulatingly supporting said combined grid and baffle in spaced relation to said anode and said container, said baffle having arc passages therein transverse to a line between the anode and cathode whereby the arc is caused to flow in proximity to said condensing surface, said openings being so proportioned that no part of the working face of the anode is exposed to the cathode.

3. A mercury arc device comprising an evacuated container, a mercury cathode in said container, an anode cooperating with said cathode, said anode having a substantially conical working face, a graphite member enclosing said anode, said graphite member conforming in shape to the anode shape passages in said graphite member transverse to a line passing through the anode and cathode the size of said passages and the thickness of the graphite member being so proportioned that the anode is in no place exposed to the surface of the cathode.

WILLIAM E. PAKALA. 

